SECTION EIGHT) Vistas & Byways

1st Nation – Eagle Feather & Sacred Meaning To The Lakota People

http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2015/03/eagle-feathers-and-sacred-meaning-to.html

The eagle is a winged symbol for the Lakota people. It is the strongest and bravest of all birds. For this reason, the eagle and its feathers have been chosen to symbolize what is highest bravest strongest holiest. An eagle's feathers are given to another in honor, and the feathers are worn with dignity and pride. They are treated with great respect. When an eagle feather is dropped during a dance, a special ceremony is performed to pick it up again, and the owner is careful to never drop it again.  An eagle feather is also used to adorn the sacred pipe because it is a symbol of the Great Spirit who is above all and from whom all strength and power flows. Eagle feathers or wings are used in special ways.  When they are held over someone's head, it means the person is brave or is wished bravery and happiness. To wave it over everyone present means everyone is wished peace, prosperity and happiness. Each time the warrior earned a feather, he would either wear it (but he only wore a couple into battle) or put it on a pole used for special occasions. Once he had collected enough feathers, they were then made into a headdress. Because each feather had a special meaning, binding them together in a headdress made that Indian headdress even more special. Only the men, closest friends of the warrior, were involved in making the headdress. The Indian chiefs also “earned” each of their feathers. The most prized of all feathers to receive for an Indian headdress was the Golden Eagle feather. Because the Indians saw the eagle as a messenger of God, this feather could only be earned through hardship, loyalty, and strength.  
 

A Community Of Sharing With Those Who Hold A Common Vision

And so it is in The Spirit Of The Monarch Of The Sky, that we are a Community of Self-Discovery and Personal Awakening for fellow travelers who are on a common Spiritual Journey to KIVA (Keeping Individual Value Alive)  

• to listen to the story of each fellow traveler with the heart
• to accept each fellow traveler with dignity and a validation of their individual worth
• to provide Compassionate Spiritual Care
• to render Holistic Pastoral Support 

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Compassionate Spiritual Care  

The Gift of Grace

Maintaining presence in the face of   suffering, uncertainty and seeming hopelessness is a Gift of Grace

The Grace of Hope

It is from the hand of compassion that 

The Grace of Hope may bring light into the dark hours of depression, loneliness and isolation.

The Gift of Compassion

Maintaining Presence is a 

Gift of Compassion

Walking with those in their greatest hour of need, is the deepest expression of Compassion for those who are on 

The Spiritual Journey to Healing And Recovery

Giving meaning to the moment –  

-purpose of pain,  

-outcome of faith, 

-fellowship of friendship

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1st Nation – Oglala Sioux 

Grandfather Great Spirit

All over the world the faces of living ones are alike. With tenderness they have come up out of the ground. Look upon your children that they may face the winds And walk the good road to the Day of Quiet. Great Spirit, Fill us with the Light. Give us the strength to understand and the eyes to see. Teach us to walk the soft Earth as relatives to all that live.

-unknown

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-proverbs.html 

The Meaning & Symbolism Of KIVA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiva

A kiva is a space used by Puebloans for rites and political meetings, many of them associated with the kachina belief system. Among the modern Hopi and most other Pueblo peoples, "kiva" means a large room that is circular and underground, and used for spiritual ceremonies. Similar subterranean rooms are found among ruins in the Southwestern United States, indicating uses by the ancient peoples of the region including the ancestral Puebloans, the Mogollon, and the Hohokam.[1] Those used by the ancient Pueblos of the Pueblo I Period and following, designated by the Pecos Classification system developed by archaeologists, were usually round and evolved from simpler pit-houses. For the Ancestral Puebloans, these rooms are believed to have had a variety of functions, including domestic residence along with social and ceremonial purposes.[2]

During the late 8th century, Mesa Verdeans started building square pit structures that archeologists call 'proto-kivas'. They were typically 3 or 4 feet (0.91 or 1.22 m) deep and 12 to 20 feet (3.7 to 6.1 m) in diameter. By the mid-10th and early 11th centuries, these had evolved into smaller circular structures called kivas, which were usually 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 m) across. Mesa Verde-style kivas included a feature from earlier times called a 'sipapu', which is a hole dug in the north of the chamber that is thought to represent the Ancestral Puebloans' place of emergence from the underworld.[3][4]

When designating an ancient room as a kiva, archaeologists make assumptions about the room's original functions and how those functions may be similar to or differ from kivas used in modern practice. The kachina belief system appears to have emerged in the South-West around A.D. 1250, while kiva-like structures occurred much earlier. This suggests that the room's older functions may have been changed or adapted to suit the new religious practice.

As cultural changes occurred, particularly during the Pueblo III period between 1150 and 1300, kivas continued to have a prominent place in the community. However, some kivas were built above ground. Kiva architecture became more elaborate, with tower kivas and great kivas incorporating specialized floor features. For example, kivas found in Mesa Verde National Park were generally keyhole-shaped. In most larger communities, it was normal to find one kiva for each five or six rooms. Kiva destruction, primarily by burning, has been seen as a strong archaeological indicator of conflict and warfare among people of the South-West during this period.

Great kivas differ from regular kivas, which archeologists call Chaco-style kivas (although Chaco Canyon also features great kivas), in several ways; first and foremost, great kivas are always much larger and deeper than Chaco-style kivas. Whereas the walls of great kivas always extend above the surrounding landscape, the walls of Chaco-style kivas do not, but are instead flush with the surrounding landscape. Chaco-style kivas are often found incorporated into the central room blocks of great houses, but great kivas are always separate from core structures. Great kivas almost always have a bench that encircles the inner space, but this feature is not found in Chaco-style kivas. Great kivas also tend to include floor vaults, which might have served as foot drums for ceremonial dancers, but Chaco-style kivas do not.[6] Great kivas are believed to be the first public buildings constructed in the Mesa Verde region.[7]

 Citations

1. ^ Pecina 2012.
2. ^ Markovich, Nicholas; Preiser, Wolfgang; Sturm, Fred (2015). Pueblo Style and Regional Architecture. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-39883-7.
3. ^ Lipe 2006, pp. 30–31.
4. ^ Lipe 2006, p. 30.
5. ^ Cajete & Nichols 2004.
6. ^ Vivian & Reiter 1965, pp. 82–92.
7. ^ Hurst & Till 2006, p. 78.

Bibliography

• Cajete, Gregory A.; Nichols, Teresa (2004), A Trail Guide to the Aztec Ruins, Western National Parks Association (WPNA)
• Hurst, Winston; Till, Jonathan (2006), "Mesa Verdean Sacred Landscapes", in Nobel, David Grant (ed.), The Mesa Verde World: Explorations in Ancestral Puebloan Archaeology, School of American Research Press, pp. 74–83, ISBN 978-1-930618-75-6
• Lipe, Willian D. (2006), "The Mesa Verde Region during Chaco Times", in Nobel, David Grant (ed.), The Mesa Verde World: Explorations in Ancestral Puebloan Archaeology, School of American Research Press, pp. 28–37, ISBN 978-1-930618-75-6
• Pecina, Ron (December 2012), "Estufa or Kiva", Indian Trader, Cottonwood Arizona: D. South, 3564 (12): 12–17
• Vivian, Gordon; Reiter, Paul (1965), The great kivas of Chaco Canyon and their relationships, University of New Mexico Press, ISBN 978-0-8263-0297-7

New Feather Village is a place to share common experiences regarding how faith has been a source of strength in meeting whatever challenges we may find during our Spiritual Journey. Fellow Travelers are invited to share personal experiences, uplifting thoughts, pictures, original song lyrics - anything to uplift and encourage one another. We offer an invitation to persons of all walks of life.  Our expectation is that all be treated with respect. With that said, this website is not intended to be used as a platform to promote political or controversial points of view. New Feather Village  will draw us together in a positive way to strengthen and remind one another that we really can gain strength from each other - to share The Spiritual Journey together! 

As Fellow Travelers , we will seek to -

• Maintain a balance between the clinical and pastoral, spiritual and religious perspectives
• Promote harmony between persons of all cultures and beliefs
• Maintain a ministry of presence with the Interdisciplinary Team
• Assure availability as a respectful resource throughout the Continuum Of Care
• Each traveler on The Spiritual Journey is entitled to a discovery of their Individual Value - purpose, worth and potential

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Compassionate Spiritual Care  Clinical Applications 

The true challenge of the Pastoral Care Giver is to serve in two arenas –            

The Clinical and The Ecumenical

The Clinical  

-one foot in the hospital, one foot in the church  

-blending science with spirituality

-one foot in science, one foot in theology

The Spiritual/Ecumenical

-one foot in medicine, one foot in theology science, ethics 

-complimenting mission of, collaborating with work of clinical peers    

-pastoral patient interaction: individual/group...    

,,,assisting, not in finding solutions, but in gaining understanding to life’s challenges

,,,gaining personal awareness through spiritual reflection and expression  

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1st Nation – Oglala Sioux 

Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to the world: as I come before You, one of Your many children, I am small and weak; I need Your strength and wisdom. May I walk in beauty; may my eyes behold the red and purple sunset; may my hands respect what You have made; may my ears be sharp to hear Your voice. Make me wise, so I may know what You teach in every leaf and rock. Make me strong, so I may be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself. May I ever be ready to come to You with clean hands and straight eyes, so that when life fades like a sunset, I may come You without shame.

-Chief Yellow Lark was a Sioux Indian Chief in the late 19th century. He translated several Sioux prayers into English. 

1st Nation – Oglala Sioux 

Hear me, four quarters of the world– a relative I am! Give me the strength to walk the soft earth. Give me the eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds. Great Spirit…all over the earth the faces of living things are all alike. With tenderness have these come up out of the ground. Look upon these faces of children without number and with children in their arms, that they may face the winds and walk the good road to the day of quiet. This is my prayer’ hear me!

AMERICAN INDIAN PRAYER FOR HEALING - Search (bing.com) 

Common Core & Code

• A Code Of Compassion that is based upon a Code Of Moral Ethics as well as Personal Integrity
• Maintaining the highest level of Moral Standards, always to promote the well being, healing and recovery of the client /patient care  and case management
• Promote Compassionate Spiritual Care, for the poor, underserved and disenfranchised
• Examine and explore influences of cultures and spiritual influences upon healing and recovery
• Render Holistic Spiritual Care and Pastoral Support through an Intercultural and Ecumenical Perspective 

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Clinical Pastoral Benchmarks

Pastoral Care extends beyond a softening of the pain from suffering. It is to remind all that they are of worth to their Creator  and to their fellowman. 

To walk with another during the Journey is to assume a portion of the burden,  enough of a portion to bring about  a measure of awareness that there are those who understand and that they need not walk the journey alone.

Clinical Pastoral Benchmarks include...

...bringing validation into the lives of caregivers who witness –  

- the burden of suffering  

- the miracle of healing

...bringing self worth into a painful world –  

- the world of the one who suffers

-helping to make sense, find meaning in the hour of pain

...examining the meaning of living, dying and relationship with GOD    

...facing challenges of tomorrow, while empowering spiritual  growth in the present  

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1st Nation – Seneca Proverb

Our plans miscarry if they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.

-unknown

http://www.inspirationforthespirit.com/native-american-wisdom/ 

Purpose 

• Bringing a sense of self worth to the present moment - the moment of suffering and the transition that is to follow, whatever course it may take
• Combining Competence with Compassion
• Blending Understanding With Kindness
• Nurturing sensitivity with love
• Recognizing and respecting the uniqueness of the individual struggle
• Assist in the Healing of Body, Heart, Mind, Spirit & Relationships

Mission 

• maintain a sense of presence for those who suffer, that they may find peace through Recovery and Healing
• maintain a sense of presence for those who witness the suffering of a Fellow Traveler

Calling

• combine spiritual awareness with religious/theological expression through Discovery of Individual Worth through moments of surrender, prayer, petition, not for wholeness and completeness alone, but for grace wisdom and understanding

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Exploring Meaning Within & Beyond The Moment

-Resolving, coming to terms with the past 

-Finding joy in recollection

-Cherishing the present and giving meaning to the moment 

-Exploring the purpose of pain

-Rejoicing in the outcome of faith

-Receiving the fellowship of friendship

-Embracing the future   

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1st Nation - Cherokee

I learn that the lessons of The Spiritual Journeyare given through those who have gone before me. 

It is through their Legacy that I emerge as a new Creation. 

-Chaplain Michael L. Benedict 

Clinical Objective & Pastoral Mission

• We are given the Mission to bring validation into the lives of those who suffer and into the lives of caregivers, both of whom carry the burden of suffering and hope to witness the miracle of Healing and Recovery. 
• We achieve our Clinical Objective and Pastoral Mission through the discovery and offering of Best Practices in Spiritual Care and Pastoral Support.
• The Best Practice In Spiritual Care & Pastoral Support includes recognizing that presence in the face of suffering, uncertainty and seeming hopelessness is a Gift Of Grace.
• The Best Practice In Spiritual Care & Pastoral Support includes a recognition of Maintaining the Gift of Grace is a Gift Of Compassion.
• The Best Practice In Spiritual Care & Pastoral Support includes walking with those who are in their greatest hour of need.
• The Best Practice In Spiritual Care & Pastoral Support includes remaining at the side of a a Fellow Traveler, wherever they may be on The Spiritual Journey To Healing And Recovery.
• Keeping Individual Value Alive is the Best Practice of all!  

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Compassionate Spiritual Care – Healing The Visible Wound (High Tech) 

The Continuum of Care measures its application of treatment and recovery in terms of tangible benchmarks and outcomes.

-Evidence Based Outcomes & Measurements (tangible indicators)

-Clinical Diagnosis 

-Inter Disciplinary Treatment Plan 

-Treatment/Therapy:

Assessment of Response to Treatment

Adaptations of Treatment 

-Clinical Recovery 

-Support Systems/Relationships...

...medical 

...clinical resources to enhance recovery

...ethical commitment to patient care

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1stNation – Cherokee Prayer
Sky our grandfather. Moon our grandmother. Earth our Mother.
I am thankful. We love each other. We are grateful.

-unknown

http://www.manataka.org/page1451.html

Holistic Spiritual Component

• We believe that holistic care and treatment holds a spiritual component. 
• As Spiritual Practitioners, we seek to work alongside the Interdisciplinary Team through sharing the benchmarks of Spiritual Assessments. 
• We offer insights and training to practitioners and clinicians regarding the Continuum Of Care to broaden awareness of Spiritual Issues that may arise during treatment.
• We seek to serve as a resource for clients, patients and those who are in treatment and recovery by offering a 'presence of compassion'.
• We strive to remain present with caregivers and clinicians as they experience the challenges of providing consistent care.

 An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

-Pastoral Care (Healing & The Spiritual Journey)

-Spiritual Assessment/Diagnosis (significant places, persons, events, belief systems, faith, self awareness) 

-Religious Practices (worship, traditions, rituals, observances, commemorations) 

-Hope, Life Purpose/Meaning, Love, Life Planning

-Spiritual Recovery Support Systems/Relationships (family, friendships, faith community, clinical providers) 

-Personal Commitment to Self Care & Spiritual Wellness

-Faith Community (resources to enhance healing, recovery, self-sufficiency)

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1st Nation – Oglala Lakota Sioux

Praise, flattery, exaggerated manners and find high-sounding words were not part of Lakota politeness. Excessive manners were put down as insincere, and the constant talker was considered rude and thoughtless. Conversation was never begun at once, or in a hurried manner. No one was quick with a question, no matter how important, and no one was pressed for an answer. A pause, giving time for thought, was the truly courteous way of beginning and conducting a conversation. 

-Luther Standing Bear

http://www.inspirationforthespirit.com/native-american-wisdo

We achieve our Clinical Objective and Pastoral Mission through the offering of Best Practices in Spiritual Care and Pastoral Support 

• Facilitation of spiritual based reflection
• Sharing of experiences, struggles, challenges and accomplishments upon The Spiritual Journey

An excerpt from "On Sacred Ground" (College Of Chaplains Video, 1965)

Healing The Inner Self (High Touch)

Pastoral Care invites the healing of the soul as well as  the binding of the wound.  As the Spiritual Dimension of Healing takes place, its influence will become ‘evident’ in the measurement of other indicators of healing across the entire continuum. Such is the real notion of Evidenced Based Spiritual Care Giving. For Healing is Holistic in its nature, with the Spiritual as an essence of the inner self.

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1st Nation – Yokuts Prayer 

One With This World

My words are tied in one with the great mountains, with the great rocks, with the great trees, in one with my body and heart. All of you see me, one with this world. 

1st Nation – Tribe Unknown - Prayer for Healing

Mother, sing me a song that will ease my pain, mend broken bones,
Bring wholeness again. Catch my babies when they are born, sing my death song, teach me how to mourn.
Show me the Medicine of the healing herbs, the value of spirit, the way I can serve. Mother, heal my heart so that I can see the gifts of yours that can live through me.

https://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/native-american/illness/native-american-prayer-for-healing.aspx

Practitioner & Caregiver Support Groups

• Through various platforms as Facebook and Zoom, Blog Posts - New Feather Village will provide an open forum for Fellow Travelers and Spiritual Care Practitioners to share their experiences upon The Spiritual Journey. Links will be provided to these platforms.
• Spiritual Assessment through Pastoral Interview Individual Reflection and Group Discussion 
• Exploring Family Of Origin through: personal narrative/autobiography, genogram 

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1st Nation – Tribe Unknown  

Great Spirit, I Am Mother

I was made by You so that the image of Your love could be brought into existence. May I always carry with me the sacredness of this honor. 

Creator, I am Daughter.  

I am the learner of the Traditions. May I carry them forward so that the Elders and Ancestors will be remembered for all time. Maker-Of-All-Things, I am Sister.Through me, may my brothers be shown the manner in which I am to be respected. May I join with my sisters in strength and power as a Healing Shield so that they will no longer bear the stain of abuse. Niskam, I am Committed Partner: one who shares her spirit, but is wise to remember never to give it away, lest it become lost, and the two become less than one. I am Woman. Hear me. Welal'in. Ta'ho!

-unknown

Compassionate, Holistic Approach

A Compassionate, Holistic Approach for Spiritual  Care & Pastoral Intervention –

• Addiction Recovery
• Mental Health
• Aging (Family Support, Home  Health, Hospice)
• Community Outreach
• Residential and Outpatient Treatment

As Spiritual Practitioners and Pastoral Care Providers, it is our opportunity to blend -

• the evidence of science with the certainty of theology
• an understanding  of the unexpected through an exploration of purpose
• exploring lives of individuals who have overcome or who have accepted adversity through the discovery of spiritual values

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1st Nation - Algonquin 

The  Great Spirit is in all things, is in the air we breathe. The  Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She  nourishes us; that which we put into the ground, She returns to us.

-Big Thunder (Bedagi) http://www.indians.org/welker/greatspi.htm#01http://indigenouspeople.net/greatspi.htm 

New Feather Village will offer a place for 

• self-reflection 
• self-awareness
• self-renewal

Together, we will look to -  

• Reflect in coming to terms with the past and when possible, to resolve and understand its meaning
• Experience the discovery  of  joy through recollection (journaling)  
• Cherish the present and giving meaning to the moment
• Explore the purpose of pain
• Recognize the outcome of faith
• Receive the fellowship of friendship
• Learn from and resolve the past, accept the present, embrace the future

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1st Nation – Crow 

Man's law changes with his understanding of ma. Only the laws of the spirit remain always the same.

-unknown

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-proverbs.htmlhttp://www.quoteland.com/author/American-Indian-Proverb-Quotes/                          

{For information  regarding consultant services, subscriptions,  fees, tuition and enrollment, please refer to 

Section 15 - Contact Us}

Providing a platform and forum for the Sharing of Evidence Based Articles and Publications, with an emphasis upon Spirituality, Treatment and Recovery.

• Clinical & Inspirational Literature
• Training Workshops
• Clinical Pastoral Education
• Caregiver Support Groups
• Sharing Of Self
• Spiritual Retreats

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1st Nation - Cherokee        

This is the Earth, healed again, growing green and blue. I want you to remember this exactly as it is, and then go and tell the people that if enough of us hold this image in their minds, we can heal the Earth and make it like it was a long time ago.         

-Grandfather Rolling Thunder, Cherokee Medicine Elder